Queer Vulnerabilities & Possibilities: Pushing Stories in Art and from Ourselves
Multidisciplinary storyteller D.A. Navoti (he/him) welcomes LGBTQI+ artists to join Queer Vulnerabilities & Possibilities: Pushing Stories in Art and from Ourselves, a 5-month cohort for 15 artists in any discipline to expand storytelling in their craft and from themselves. Whether it be performance, literature, music, visual arts, folk or traditional art, and more, three storytelling workshops will be offered that will culminate in an optional showcase at Seattle Rep. This free opportunity is for emerging-to-established artists who want to push storytelling in any creative form with an interdisciplinary queer cohort. Artists who participate in the optional showcase will be compensated.
We welcome up to 15 LGBTQI+ artists in any discipline who can commit to attending all three workshops or at least two of the three. Queer Native artists are especially encouraged to apply. Cohort participants will be notified before December 9, 2022, and a waitlist will be available. All workshops are in-person at Seattle Rep.
Workshops Dates
- Saturday, January 14, 2023, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Queer Stories Are Just Better: So What’s Yours? - Saturday, February 11, 2023, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Vulnerable Storytelling: Infinite Possibilities Yet Finite Decisions - Saturday, April 29, 2023, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Evolving and Escalating the Urgent: You, the Queer Artist - Saturday, May 20, 2023
Showcase at Seattle Rep
Apply to be a part of the cohort.
About the Workshops
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#1 Queer Stories Are Just Better: So What’s Yours?
In this introductory workshop, artists will build community by sharing their art-making stories, hopes and pitfalls, and the future of their creative practice. Moreover, basic storytelling concepts will be discussed (as well as why queer stories are better). From Greek mythology to Two Spirit Indigenous ceremonies, banned queer literature to Showtime’s "Queer as Folk," and honoring bisexual performer Josephine Baker to trans performance artist Wu Tsang, we’ll discover how art(ists) elevates queer stories. So what’s yours?
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#2 Vulnerable Storytelling:
Infinite Possibilities Yet Finite Decisions
What makes a story better? In this workshop, artists will explore interdisciplinary narratives prioritizing human connection and strategic vulnerability. Strategic vulnerability “is a realistic and practical way of using your own personal stories to connect with your audience,” says Jordan Bower, founder of Transformational Storytelling. We’ll also dive into the politics of vulnerability, like oversharing, reopening scars, and authenticity versus exploitation. Lastly, artists will define artistic boundaries that doesn’t compromise the self.
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#3 Evolving & Escalating the Urgent:
You, the Queer Artist
The queer canon in most creative disciplines has grown in the 21st century, and still, the work ahead is long, exhaustive, and for some, dangerous. The queer spirit endures, nevertheless, and in this workshop artists will identify barriers in their art — whether imposter syndrome, a lack of resource support or community, or self-care needs — and devise a plan of action to elevate their creative practice. Additionally, artists will build a queer utopia by drafting their next creative project no matter how big or small. Finally, we’ll celebrate you, the queer artist, and the stories you bring into the world.
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Optional & Paid Showcase at Seattle Rep
The cohort is invited to share their work at Seattle Rep in an optional showcase on May 20, 2023. Artists will be compensated $100.00 for their participation. The showcase program depends on the cohorts’ needs, but the opportunities include performance, readings, lectures, and/or an exhibition to the general public. The goal is for artists to connect with audiences through vulnerable storytelling and network with the public.
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Field Trip
The cohort will be invited to attend Metamorphoses (Jan. 27 - Feb 26., 2023) as a group on a performance date to be determined.
